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A Whole Deck Of Race Cards

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) became Burris’ most vocal defender. He likened Senate Democratic leaders, who said they would not seat a Blagojevich appointment, to George Wallace and Bull Connor and warned Senate Democrats not to “hang or lynch” Burris. Tonight on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” Rush went further, comparing the Senate’s refusal to seat Burris yesterday to one of the most violent chapters of the civil rights movement:

RUSH: It reminded me of the dogs being sicced on children in Birmingham, Alabama. That’s what it reminded me of.

The rejection of Roland Burris had nothing to do with race. Before Blagojevich made the appointment–even before we knew he would even make an appointment–all 50 Senate Democrats signed a letter pledging to oppose anyone Blagojevich appointed. That had nothing to do with race.

The Senate kept Burris out because he didn’t have a certification of his appointment signed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. Yeah, they excluded Burris on a technicality, but the rule requiring a certification has been in place since 1884, and–as far as I can tell–was only violated once, in 1910. Burris wanted the Senate to break a rule that’s stood unblemished for 99 years and they refused, a decision that had nothing to do with race.

The one guy standing most in the way of Burris’ appointment to the Senate is Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who is refusing to grant him a certification. This is White:

So the single largest source of Roland Burris’ problems is, like him, African-American. Does that put this racism nonsense to bed yet?

Look, the ‘racism’ talking point is just a cynical attempt by Bobby Rush and Team Blago to get their guy into the Senate. They know race has nothing to do with this, but they’re playing a whole deck of race cards in the hopes they can manipulate the situation and sling mud all over the Democratic caucus. Harry Reid and Senate Democrats bungled the Burris situation–badly–butit’s more than obvious their actions weren’t motivated by race.

Bobby Rush should be ashamed of himself for crying wolf and thus cheapening the struggles of those who have actually fought against racism.